Catalytic process for the conversion of sulphur compounds



V 45 shrinking of Patented June 15, 1937 CATALYTIC PROCESS FOR THE CONVER- SION OF SULPHUR COMPOUNDS Gerald G. Connolly, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Sulco Laboratories, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 21, 1933, Serial No. 703,409

'1 Claims. (01. 23-3) This invention relates to a catalytic process for the conversion of sulphur containing compounds by means of a catalytic agent comprismg improved impregnated leached zeolite gels 5 and to the preparation of such catalysts whereby the utilization thereof effects removal of sulphur compounds from gases or vapors.

More specifically this invention relates to the manufacture of highly efllcient and improved l impregnated leached artificial zeolite gel catalysts for removing hydrogen sulphide from gases by oxidizing the hydrogen sulphide to elementary sulphur and sulphur dioxide, and also for the conversion of organic sulphur compounds in vaporous state into hydrogen sulphide.

U. s. Patent 1,895,724,.of which I am co-patentec, discloses such gas and vapor treating processes with the use of an impregnated gel catalyst, the gel of which has a pore structure capable 20 weight (dry basis); of water vapor, when in equilibrium with water vapor at 30 0., and a partial pressure of 22 mm. of mercury. Such gel is impregnated with from 1.3 to 4.87 percent. of a metallic oxide. While the resulting catalyst is useful, it has several very serious drawbacks which interferewith its efiective use on a commercial scale, chief among which are:

(1) The gel used is relatively dense and has such a minutepore structure that only a. limited amount of active catalyst can be introduced. The patent points out that even with 4.87% F820: some of the pores oi the gel are clogged and the active surface of the gel reduced. This dense structure and limited amount of active catalyst is a serious drawback in actual practice, as the capacity is low and the process must be frequently interrupted and the mass revivifled. This revivification not only interrupts the process but it must be carried out at high temperatures, sometimes very excessive temperatures in order to burn the sulphur and the carbon, which accumulate within the pores. In such heating the gel structure becomes even more dense due to a the pores. The patent allows for a range of metallic oxide of froml.3 to 4.87- percent. but it points out that best results are obtained at about 2.5 percent. Any material change in the gel structure is equivalent to a o sh ting from this desired 2.5 percent.

(2) After such a catalyst has been used, particularly when the mass is used intennittently,

there i:, a certain displacement of the metallic oxide in the gel, so that particles will show about 5'5 5 percent. of the metallic oxide whereas others of adsorbing not less than percent. of its own will show only about one percent. or so. This may be explained by the fact that in treating gas which contains S0: or in which S02 is formed, a small amount of S0: is formed which changes some of the iron oxide to iron sulphate, which sulphate, being water soluble, is displaced from one portion of the gel bed to another by the water adsorbed between the runs or formed during the reaction, etc. This, too, impairs the catalytic efilciency as the mass is no longer uniformly impregnated with the desired 2.5 percent. of metallic oxide; but, rather, some particles are over impregnated and others are under impregnated.

(3) The preferred conversion temperature range disclosed in the patent is from about 185 C. to about 210 C. This is a very narrow temperature-efiiciency range, especially when dealing with gasses high in hydrogen sulphide, because the heat of reaction alone is sufiicient to exceed this temperature and steps must be taken to cool the mass during use unless operating efficiency is sacrificed.

For the above reasons, among others, it has been found in practice that the catalyst disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,895,724 drops in use not only in percentage eflliciency of conversion, but the time necessary before revivification is essential, is materially shortened. This drop continues after each revivification until finally an equilibrium seems to be reached, at which time the catalytic mass, taking efliciency and duration of cycle into consideration, is not more than about half as good a catalyst as was the original fresh material.

The catalytic mass, prepared in accordance with the principles of the present invention, has none of the disadvantages above pointed out. The present improved catalyst is not sensitive; it will operate over a considerable range of temperature; it may contain say from about 5 up to about percent. metallic oxide, with the result that any small amount of displacement by the leaching normally occurring will not impair its efiiciency; it will withstand repeated high temperature reactivation; and it can be operated at higher gas rates and concentrations than formerly, without necessitating cooling. Above all, it

will give higher efficiencies for a longer length of time than the former mass and retain this efficiency after repeated revivifications.

Speaking generally, the improved catalytic mass can be made by taking artificial alkali amphoteric silicates, such. for example, as sodium aluminum silicate, which is preferred, prepared via the gel structure and leaching with dilute acid to extract all of the alkali metal and all or part of the amphoteric metal. Before leaching, if need be, the

zeolite may be treated with water vapor as by passing wet steam over it in order to avoid decrepitation and to keep the material in the desired granular state. The following more detailed instructions will enable one skilled in the art to produce a catalyst typifying the invention, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but is defined in the appended claims.

The leached zeolite is dried and heated to a temperature of 1200 to 1400 F. for a period of 3 hours or more. The resultant product is a hard, tough, granular material of a very porous nature.

This product comprises the carrier for the active,

catalyst to be added.

Quite often it is advantageous not to extract all of the amphoteric metal oxide as the presence of this amphoteric metal oxide tends to aid in forming the desired tough structure, and it may even be an aid to the active catalyst either because of its own catalytic properties or because it acts as a catalyst promoten," At times it is also an advantage to add to the leached zeolite just previous to the heating stage a very dilute solution (say 0.2 to 0.5 per cent.) of potassium or lithium hydroxide or carbonate, which has a tendency additionally to toughen the wall structure.

The pore size, as indicated by the apparent density, can be controlled by several means. First, by controlling the strength of the acid and the time of contact so as to remove all the alkali metal but still retain all or any portion of the amphoteric metal. Second, the zeolite previous to leaching may be given a heat treatment so as to partly contract the pores. By combining these two treatments, that is, a preliminary heat treatment followed by a partial or complete leaching of the amphoteric metal or by using either method alone, I can obtain a leached zeolite of varyingapparent densities, for example, from less than 0.4 to about 0.8. Preferably I make a leached zeolite of just about or a little below the apparent density of 0.5. By apparent density, I mean the weight in grams of a cubic centimeter of gel consisting of particles of 8-14 mesh material. By 8-14 mesh, I mean particles that will pass an 8 mesh U. 8. Standard Sieve Series screen, but will remain on one of 14 mesh.

In contrast to the heretofore known types of gel catalysts, as disclosed. for example, in U. S. Patent 1,895,724, a gel prepared as above and of the densities indicated has substantially no absorptive capacity for water when in equilibrium therewith at 30 C. and at a pressure of 22 mm. of mercury. The pores should not, however, be so enlarged as to lose the advantage of the gel structure.

After the heating to 1200 to 1400 F., the leached zeolite is preferably allowed to cool and is then impregnated with the active catalyst. The active catalyst can be introduced by any suitable means, as by spraying on or immersing in a salt solution capable of being decomposed into the metal oxide by heat or the carrier may be first saturated with a reducing gas or liquid and the metal salt added. I prefer to spray onto the carrier sufiicient of the salt solution of the proper concentration Just to saturate the pores and leave the surfaces with a dry appearance. As much as 20 percent. of the active metallic oxides may thus be introduced into the structure.

Vario'us active catalysts can be used, depending on whether the final catalyst is to be used for the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide or for the conversion of organic sulphur compounds into hydrogen sulphide. For the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide, I can use oxides of iron, aluminum,

vanadium, manganese, etc., or a mixture of the same. Preferably, because of its cheapness, I use iron oxide or iron oxide plus some manganese oxides. For the conversion of organic sulphur compounds into hydrogen sulphide, I can use the oxides of nickel, molybdenum, chromium, etc., preferably ranging'from equal parts of nickel and molybdenum oxides to 20 parts of molybdenum oxide to parts of nickel-oxide. The nitrate is a preferred salt for decomposing to form the active catalysts, although, with molybdenum, the ammonium salt may be used.

The carrier containing the metallic salt is dried and then activated at a temperature of about 1200 F. At this temperature all the salt is decomposed, leaving the carrier impregnated on its surfaces and in its pores with the highly active metal oxides.

Catalytic masses prepared according to the above method are extremely efficient, rugged and can be used a long time before revivification is necessary. Furthermore, they can be revivified without impairing their efficiency.

Instead of using zeolite as the raw carrier material, Japanese clay or bentonite may be used, for example, in the following way. Japanese clay or bentonite are first preferably washed with dilute acid, and then are molded into desired shapes as, for example, by extrusion to form cylindrical pellets about one quarter inch in diameter and possibly three-eighths inch long. These pellets are slowlydried and then finally heated for 3 hours or more at a temperature of about 1400 F. After cooling, the pellets are of a hard, tough, rigid structure. This structure may be impregnated with the active catalyst in the manner described above. This catalytic mass is not quite as eflicient as that prepared using the zeolite, but it offers certain advantages, particularly when a percent. cleanup of the treated gas is not necessary, in that it is of large size, very hard and, due to the size of the particles, offers very little resistance to the fiow of the gases.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the above catalytic masses thus prepared are especially useful in the conversion of volatile or volatilized organic sulphur compounds into hydrogen sulphide and in the recovery-of elemental sulphur from hydrogen sulphide by catalyzing the reaction between hydrogen sulphide and an oxidizing gas such as sulphur dioxide, air or the like. In this manner, hydrogen sulphide and organic sulphur compounds can be removed readily from natural gases, cracked petroleum gases, coke oven gases and the like, or they, may be treated in their more concentrated or pure forms, as aforesaid. In the claims appended hereto, such reactions are referred to generically as the treatment of sulphur compounds in gaseous form.

For recovering elementary sulphur from hydrogen sulphide I pass the raw gas'blended' with an oxidizing gas, as air, S02, etc., in slight excess above that theoretically necessary to react with the hydrogen sulphide, through a bed of the granular catalytic mass. With the preferred zeolite mass described and containing up to 20 percent. but preferably 10 to 15 percent. of ferric oxide as the active catalyst, I have found that for a gas mixture containing 4 percent. hydrogen 7 sulphide and containing 10 percent. oxygen above theoretical and, a rate of one cubic foot of gas per pound of catalytic mass per minute and operating at a temperature of from 150 C. to well above 300 C., all the hydrogen sulphide can be converted. More particularly, with a gas reasonably free from gum and heavy hydrocarbons, un der the conditions just stated I have found that using a single stage converter operating at 280 to 300 C., after more than 75 hours more than 90 percent. of the hydrogen sulphide was still converted over to elemental sulphur, while the remainder of the hydrogen sulphide, except for a bare trace (as detected by lead acetate paper) was converted into sulphur dioxide.

I have given certain emciency figures for conversion of hydrogen sulphide to elementary sulphur and sulphur dioxide by these catalysts. These results were obtained at about 300 C. and using an excess amount of oxygen of about 10 percent. above theoretical. At a somewhat lower temperature there is a slightly higher conversion. Increasing the excess oxygen sufiiciently and raising the temperature somewhat it is possible to convert all the hydrogen sulphide into sulphur dioxide. This sulphur dioxide may be used to feed a contact sulphuric acid plant when feasible or ammonia may be added and the sulphur dioxide recovered as ammonium sulphite, as described. By this adjustment of temperature and excess of oxygen, we have a method of controlling the proportion of elementary sulphur and sulphur dioxide. The higher the temperature the less the excess of oxygen necessary, and vice versa.

While the catalytic mass using the heat treated Japanese clay carrier is not so efllcient, it is nevertheless a very satisfactory and long lived catalyst. For the first hour or two, the conversion to elementary sulphur and sulphur dioxide was approximately 100 percent, but' after 40 hours, under the conditions above stated, the

conversion efiticiency to elemental sulphur was about 80 percent, while the remainder was approximately equally divided between sulphur dioxide and unconverted hydrogen sulphide. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, this unconverted gas can be cleaned up by using two or more converters arranged in series.

The elemental sulphur, produced from the oxidation of the sulphur dioxide, maybe recovered in several ways. Part of the sulphur may be caught in a catch-pot located just below the catalytic chamber, while the remainder, which is carried through as mist, may be removed by a Cottrell precipitator arranged in a steam jacketed pipe. The exact conditions of the sulphur and the point it is, recovered varies depending upon the gas rates, HzS concentration, temperature, etc.

The sulphur dioxide formed will go on with the gas and maybe removed by any suitable means. For example, it may be removed in a scrubber located after the Cottrell precipitator. This scrubber may contain a suspension of lime or, if much carbon dioxide is in the gas, a suspension of finely divided calciun' carbonate may be used. Another suitable method is that of introducing ammonia gas into the gas stream to form ammonium sulphite which, if finely divided, may be recovered in a second Cottrell precipitator, or any suitable collector. The ammonium sulplite when spread in thin layers exposed to the air, will quickly oxidize to ammonium sulphate, a readily marketable product! Instead of treating a raw or dilute gas directly, the hydrogen sulphide may first be recovered or concentrated by some suitable absorption process, for example, one using triethanolamine or the like as the absorbing agent, and the concentrated hydrogen sulphide thereafter mixed with air, or air and an inert gas, and passed through a bed of the catalyst, as described.

Indications are that if the gas is clean of tar, gums, etc., the catalyst will last a very long time before revivification' is necessary. The present results obtained with my improved catalytic mass are far superior to those obtained by any catalyst tested. Besides the mass is much more flexible.

For the conversion of organic sulphur into hydrogen sulphide I have found that, for example, by passing a gas containing suffl'cient hydrogen and 50 grains of carbon .bisulphide per 100 cubic feet over my zeolite type of catalyst containing approximately equal parts of nickel oxide and molybdenum oxide, at least 90 percent. was converted into hydrogen sulphide at a temperature of approximately 325 C. With the Japanese clay type a substantially equal conver-' sion is obtained, but at a somewhat higher temperature, e. g., 375-425 C.

All the catalytic masses described in this application may be regenerated back to their active form by merely heating to a temperature of from 1000 to 1200 F. while passing over and through the mass a current of air, and in such regeneration .they will not shrink or otherwise change in a manner to lose their efflciency.

In the foregoing specification, and in the claims annexed hereto, my catalyst carriers have been defined in terms of their apparent density. It should be understood that this is the apparent density of the carriers before they have been, impregnated with active catalysts; that is, the apparent density of the carrier itself and not of the finished catalyst. of course, impregnation of the carrier with active catalyst material will to a certain extent increase the apparent density of the finished catalyst, and other alterations in the apparent density and pore size of the catalyst maytake place during the active life thereof. It is understood that catalysts in which these changes have occurred are also included within the'scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by,Letters Patent is:

1. A process for the treatment of gases containing sulphur compounds of the class consistr ing of hydrogen sulphid and organic compounds of sulphur which comprises passing said gases in admixture with a reactive gas at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst mass containing a leached base exchange body having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of 8-14 mesh particle size, impregnated with an active catalyst in amounts of to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temperatures sufilcient to remove contaminating impurities.

0.8 when of 8 to 14 mesh, impregnated with iron oxide in amounts of 5% to 20% by weight, and

at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen con- 5 taining hydrogen sulphid which comprises passe ing said gases in admixture with oxygen at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst mass containing a leached base exchange body having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of a to 14 mesh, impregnated with an active catalyst in-amounts of 5% to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temperatures suiiicient to remove contaminating 15 impurities.

4. A process for the treatment ofgases containing organic sulphur compounds for the conversion thereof to hydrogen sulphid which comprises passing said gases in admixture with hydrogen at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst containing a leached base exchange body having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of 8 to 18 mesh, impregnated with nickel oxide in amounts of 5% to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temperatures suflicient to remove contaminating impurities.

5. A process for the treatment of gases contain ing organic sulphur compounds for the conversion thereof to hydrogen sulphid which comprises passing said gases in admixture with hydrogen at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst containing a leached base exchange body having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of 8 to 14 mesh, impregnated with molybdenum oxide in amounts of 5% to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temperatures suiflcient to remove contaminating impurities.

6. A process for the treatment of gases containing organic sulphur compounds for the conversion thereof to hydrogen sulphid which comprises passing said gases in admixture with hydrogen at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst containing a leached base exchange body having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of 8 to 14 mesh, impregnatedwith a mixture oi. nickel and molybdenum oxides in amounts oi 5% to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temperatures sufdcient toremove contaminating impurities.

7. A process for the treatment'of gases containing organic sulphur compounds for the conversion thereof to hydrogen sulphid which comprises passing said gases in admixture with hydrogen at reaction temperatures in contact with a catalyst containing a leached base exchange body impregnated with an active catalyst having an apparent density of between 0.4 and 0.8 when of 8-14 mesh in amounts of 5% to 20% by weight, and at repeated intervals passing heated oxygen containing gases through the catalyst at temeratures suiiicient to remove contaminating impurities.

GERALD C. CONNOLLY. 

